Poses for when you get backed up
Yoga instructor - Kristin M.
I recently had someone reach out to me and ask me to share some postures that can help with constipation. Her husband is going through cancer treatments and is having a hard time going to the restroom. Whenever I travel, my digestion gets messed up. I went on a retreat with one of my favorite instructors, Nevine, to Belize years ago; and I got a little backed up. While there, Nevine showed me a cool trick with a yoga blanket to help get things moving. Travel, change in diet, certain drugs and medications, and lack of movement can all lead to constipation. In addition to the blanket exercise, yoga is one of the best types of movement you can do to help get some relief when you’re not regular. Here are some of my favorite yoga postures for constipation relief, followed by a yoga flow you can do.
Child pose helps with relaxation and stress relief. Start here with five to eight deep breaths. Stress can cause constipation.
Move into cat/cow and knee to nose. Cat and cow will strengthen and stretch the abdominal muscles and knee to nose is great to the core and it applies a little pressure on the lower abdomen. Any posture that strengthens the core can help with constipation. Take 3 cycles of cat/cow and do 3 reps of knee to nose on each side.
Crescent lunge and lizard are great hip openers that can help stretch the thighs. Poses that use strong leg muscles are great for getting things moving as well. Stay for 5-8 breaths in each pose.
Downward Dog is a gentle inversion and can help with circulation which is important for increasing blood flow throughout the body, including the digestive system, which helps move food through the intestines. Hold downward dog for 8-10 breaths.
Twists aid in digestion by gently putting pressure on the internal organs. You can do a seated spinal twist or a supine twist on each side to get things moving. Stay for 5-8 breaths on each side.
Finally, end with a yogi squat and then hero’s pose. The squat gets things moving downward and hero’s pose is a great place to take deep full breaths and stretch the front of the thighs. If you have the range of motion, you can recline in hero’s pose and stretch the psoas muscles (when tight) they can mess with your digestion. You can stay for 5-8 breaths in each pose.
This time of year we eat foods we may not eat as often, or maybe eat more in general, as well as travel. These postures can be helpful to keep things flowing. When you are more regular you feel so much better.
Some other things you can think about to help with constipation:
- Stay hydrated.
- Eat plenty of fiber (I recently discovered these amazing shakes/puddings with 10 grams of fiber and 20 grams of protein) I like the pistachio flavor and salted caramel. KRISTIN10 gets you a discount!
- Meditate or find something to help relieve stress.
- Go for a walk.
- Keep a consistent wake/sleep schedule.
- Limit alcohol.Here’s to a happy dance in the toilet bowl holiday!
